They just keep talking

I know at this point I shouldn't be surprised that the Wizards are still talking - but I am. And annoying as it is, I'm actually glad they just can't seem to shut up. Any thoughts of the Cavaliers being unmotivated for Game 5 have gone out the window as Brenda Haywood and Gilbert Arenas keep flapping their gums.

Here are my favorites from Monday:

(Brenda on LeBron) "Awww," Haywood said, in a whiny, high-pitched voice to mock James. "They are trying to hurt me. I mean come on man, this is the playoffs," Haywood said following Monday's practice. "He wears 23, he wants to be Michael Jordan, I can respect that, he's a great player. You saw what Mike went through. Mike got fouled way worse than this. No one is trying to hurt him, everybody is trying to play basketball, trying to play tough. Play basketball and leave it alone."

(Gilbert Arenas on the series) "It's never over until it's over," said Gilbert Arenas, playing with a bone bruise in his knee. "They said there are eight teams that have done it [come back from 3-1]. We are going to be the ninth."

Now I really can't wait for Game 5. Time for these guys to start their summer vacation, courtesy of the Cavaliers. It should be a rowdy crowd down at the Q to welcome these clowns back into town. The only downer is that the geniuses in the league office decided to make this a 6:00 pm start to accommodate the Hawks/Celtics at 8:00 pm. And by the way, nice job by the Celtics last night. I guess those 65 wins during the regular season aren't helping much now. I would love nothing more than for them to lose to the Hawks (a 37-win team), but for selfish reasons I want the Cavaliers to oust them from the postseason.

"If you can't beat 'em, just keep talkin' trash"

Waiting for Game 3

The wait between games in the NBA playoffs is sometimes agonizing. It feels like a week since the Cavs blew out the Wizards in Game 2, even if it has only been three days. But for this version of the Cavaliers (with LBJ's bad back, Big Ben's bad back, Z's bad back, Boobie's bum ankle, etc., etc.) the off days are likely welcomed by the players and will ultimately benefit us as a team.

I have a lot of confidence going into this one, even if it is on the road where the Cavs have struggled mightily in recent weeks. LeBron is playing at a very high level, which is normal, but I think he somehow has an extra playoff gear that we are seeing now. The x-factors for me are the following:

• Can our shooters keep hitting on their open looks? If Boobie and Wally are making shots and Z is hitting on his pick-and-pops, we are extremely tough to defend.
• Will Big Ben bring the energy we saw in Game 2? He has been tough to gauge this year because of the back problems, but the few times we have seen him play with that type of energy, the Cavaliers usually look much better. I think the intangibles he brings are even more important than what Varejao brings.
• Will we continue to defend the way we have in the first two games? I think Mike Brown has made some great adjustments on the Wizards' big three that has really disrupted the team's rhythm. It helps that Arenas is nursing some injuries, but we have really locked down on him since the first half of Game 1. The key will be if Wally can stay in front of Butler, and if we can keep Jamison in check.

The good news is that Mike Brown is 10-2 during the postseason head-to-head vs. Eddie Jordan over the last three years. Brown has been able to keep his team focused and not let them get caught up in the Wizards' nonsense. I expect them to be just as focused in a hostile environment tonight. Taking Game 3 would really kill any life the Wizards may have left.

Non-basketball thoughts: I didn't even know who Soulja Boy was before LeBron's infamous quote (give me a break, I'm 32 and don't listen to pop radio or watch MTV). But if the Wizards are going to use that quote and some music to try to get into LeBron's head tonight (and go ahead I dare you to give LBJ extra motivation), they might want to check out this photo from Soulja Boy's official web site. Even he is a LeBron fan:

Even Soulja Boy knows who the King is

Game 2: A Massacre at the Q

What a great Monday in Cleveland. My good luck began today with a power failure at work that allowed me to go home at noon. And the good times rolled on into the night inside the Q as the Cavaliers just hammered the Wizards 116-86 to go up 2-0 in the series. This marks the 8th straight playoff win over the team that talks but just can't seem to back any of it up.

Tonight had a little bit of everything. Hard fouls? Check. Intense crowd? Check. The Wizards losing their cool and getting blown out? Check. The fun really started when Brendan Haywood made absolutely no attempt at the ball and shoved a flying LeBron James out of bounds on a layup attempt. The officials correctly gave him a flagrant 2 foul and an automatic ejection. LeBron went on to make both free throws and then Delonte West nailed a three on the ensuing possession to basically put the game away. That was a microcosm of how things went tonight. LeBron missed a triple-double by one rebound and got plenty of rest down the stretch, along with the rest of our rotation.

Highlights of the night for me (in no particular order):

• Ben Wallace bringing some much needed energy early tonight. We needed it and he looked great.
• LeBron's relentless attack of the rim, in spite of all the hard fouling. As he said, he's not the only one feeling the contact on those fouls. 30 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds. Outstanding as usual.
  
• Wally Sczcerbiak's great shooting night. He really brought a lot to the team tonight and even played some decent defense. I think this was the best he's looked in a Cavalier uniform.
• Gilbert Arenas' pathetic shooting night. I know he has the built-in excuse of the limp wrist, or whatever injury he's claiming now. But he looked awful out there and appeared to be about to burst into tears at any moment. High entertainment.
• DeShawn Stevenson breaking out that idiotic hand-waving in his own face after hitting a three to cut the Cavaliers' lead down to 16 (!). Nice job moron.
• Damon Jones busting out his own mock version of the hand-waving when he hit a three in the waning seconds to give the Cavs the final 30-point margin of victory. Now that was outstanding.

We'll see what happens in Game 3 (it's always an adventure when these Cavaliers leave the cozy confines of the Q). But I think this Wizards team is about to implode. Too bad we have to wait until Thursday night for the next game. But we will be plenty rested. In the meantime I'll keep tabs on what the pathetic Washington writers have to say about this one. I'm sure there will be plenty of excuses after this massacre.

LBJ was not to be denied on this drive, or at any other time tonight

Time to Rise Up (Again)

In about 2 1/2 hours the Cavaliers will be tipping off the 2008 postseason down at the Q. I will be at the game with my trusty camera phone taking in all the action. Hopefully when I return we will be up 1-0 and talking about how LeBron owns DeShawn Stevenson and Gilbert Arenas. I know this team is better than the Wizards, but it's just tough to know what to expect out of these guys. I can't remember the last time I went to a playoff game in the LeBron era and really didn't know what to expect. I guess we'll find out soon, but I'm hoping for the best...